


Maybe

by Musings_of_a_Monster



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Freeform, Gen, eh, this was originally a tumblr post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 04:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musings_of_a_Monster/pseuds/Musings_of_a_Monster
Summary: Maybe Javert had a cat.





	Maybe

Maybe Javert had a pet. He'd have no place for a dog, probably, and how would he walk it every day, etc.?

But what about a cat?

He wouldn’t go out of his way to get one, it would have to be an accident. Like, a poorly weighted/tied bag drifts to the top of a lake, and it’s full of unwanted and barely weened kittens. Most of them are already drowned, but maybe there’s one who’s fought its way out or nearly out. Maybe it’s black, or ugly, or both. This one isn’t going without a fight.

Maybe Javert takes it home on a whim (or so he tells himself). It probably won’t live, but might as well give it a warm, dry place to die after all it’s done to get out of the water.

But it does live. No one wants the ugly thing, and maybe it’s poor-tempered to boot. Hisses at everything. Always ready for a fight even against far bigger animals.

It could be that Javert decides just to take care of it until he can find it a home (or so he tells himself). But weeks, months go by and no home is found. Well, whatever. The cat, maybe now referred to as You, has been killing vermin lately. It’s useful. Useful enough for Javert to take with him when he moves.

You gets old, it isn’t very good at catching mice anymore. In fact, Javert finds himself having to provide You with more scraps because its hunting has gotten so poor. But You did a good job when it was able, and it probably won’t live much longer anyway (or so he tells himself). Maybe it feels… _unjust_ to toss You out.

Maybe You lives past the night Javert doesn’t come home. Maybe it wanders the streets, keeping one (nearly blind) eye out for him. No one bothers with the old, ugly thing. There is one old man with white hair, usually smelling of dirt, who takes pity on You (despite its predilection for hissing and growling) whenever it climbs into his garden and he slips it a few morsels.

Maybe You lies down in the city one day and dreams of the human who shared his home with it. Maybe, that time, You doesn’t wake up. Maybe its body is thrown in a refuse heap, or left to rot where it lies. 

But maybe that’s okay. Because maybe You’s found Javert somewhere neither of them have to worry about drowning or getting enough to eat or being useful. You isn’t so angry anymore, and even though its appearance hasn’t changed, no one thinks You is ugly.

Maybe this new place is somewhere You and its human don’t have to fight for the right to exist. Maybe there is something there for two fighters that fought for as long as they could. Someplace full of _Something_ unconditional that doesn’t care about how pretty or useful or even nice You and Javert are. 

Maybe.


End file.
